Vespers | Eastern Orthodox Prayerbook and Psalter

At the end of the 9th hour the priest pronounces the initial exclamation:

Blessed be our God always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Reader: Amen.

Come, let us worship our King, God. Come, let us worship and fall before Christ, the King, our God. Come, let us bow and fall before Christ Himself, our King and God.

If Vespers begins the all-night vigil, then the altar is censed with the royal doors open.

Then the deacon calls out: Arise!

Chorus: Bless.

Priest (depicting the sign of the cross with a censer): Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving, and indivisible Trinity always: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Chorus: Amen.

The priest and those in the altar sing:

Come, let us worship our King, God. Come, let us worship and fall before Christ, the King, our God. Come, let us bow and fall before Christ Himself, our King and God. Come, let us worship and fall before Him!

Chorus: Bless the Lord, my soul! Blessed are You, Lord. Lord my God, You are greatly exalted. Blessed are You, Lord. You are clothed with praise and splendor. Blessed are You, Lord. The waters will pass through the midst of the mountains; marvelous are Your works, O Lord! You created everything by wisdom. Glory to Thee, Lord, Who created everything!

Then the full incense of the temple is performed while singing Psalm 103 (or selected verses from it).

If there is no vigil, the psalm is read in full.

Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, my soul! O Lord, my God, You are greatly exalted, You are clothed with praise and splendor, clothed with light as with a garment, stretching out the sky like a covering of skin. You hide Your heavenly palaces in the waters, You appoint the clouds for Your ascent, You walk on the wings of the winds, You create Your angels as spirits, and Your servants as flames of fire, You have established the earth on its foundation, and it will not bend forever. The abyss is like a covering; the waters will rise on the mountains; They will flee from Your threat; they will be afraid from the sound of Your thunder. They ascend the mountains and descend into the plains, to the place that You have appointed for them—You have set a limit that they will not cross and will not turn back to cover the earth. You send springs in the gorges, waters will flow through the mountains, water all the beasts of the field, wild donkeys will quench their thirst, the birds of the air will settle with them, and voices will come out of the rocks. You water the mountains from Your heights, the earth will be satisfied with the fruit of Your works, You bring forth grass for livestock and greenery for the service of people, to bring bread out of the ground, and wine to gladden the heart of man, so that his face will shine with oil, and bread will strengthen the heart of man. The trees of the plain will be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon, which You planted, the birds will build their nests there, the stork’s dwelling will rise above them. High mountains are for deer, rocks are a refuge for hares. He created the moon to indicate the times, the sun knew its sunset. You spread darkness and night came; all the forest animals, young lions, will roam in it, roaring in the hope of getting and finding food for themselves from God. The sun has risen, and they have gathered, and lie down in their lairs; a man will go out to his business and to his work until evening. How majestic are Your works, O Lord, You have created everything with wisdom; the land of Your creations is filled. This sea is great and vast, there are reptiles there, of which there is no number, animals small and large. There are ships sailing, there is this dragon whom You created to mock him. Everyone expects You to give them food in due time. When You give it to them, they will collect it, You open Your hand, and everything will be filled with good. But if you turn away your face, they will be confused, you will take away their breath, and they will disappear and return to their dust. You will send Your Spirit, and they will be created, and You will renew the face of the earth. May the Lord be the glory forever; the Lord rejoice in His works. He looks at the earth and makes it tremble, touches the mountains - and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life, I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist. May my conversation be sweet to Him, and may I rejoice in the Lord. Let sinners and lawless people disappear from the earth - so that they will not exist. Bless the Lord, my soul!

The sun has seen its sunset. You spread the darkness and the night came. How majestic are Your works, O Lord, You have created everything with wisdom.

Glory, and now: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (three times)

Great Litany. Verse of the psalter.

On Saturday evening we will sing the first full kathisma. On the feasts of the Mother of God and great saints, after the great litany, we sing the first antiphon.

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who did not follow the advice of the wicked, and did not take the path of sinners, and did not sit on the seat of the destroyers, but his will is in the law of the Lord, and he will delve into His law day and night. And he will be like a tree planted by springs of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not fall, and it will prosper in everything that it does. Not so wicked, not so, but like dust that the wind sweeps from the face of the earth. Therefore, the wicked will not rise in judgment, just as sinners will not rise in the council of the righteous, for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 2

Why did the pagans become enraged and the nations conceive vain plans? The kings of the earth appeared and the princes gathered together against the Lord and against His Anointed: “Let us break their bonds and throw off their yoke!” He who dwells in heaven will ridicule them, and the Lord will disgrace them. Then He will turn to them in His anger and in His wrath will confuse them. But I have been appointed by Him king over Zion, His holy mountain; I declare the commandment of the Lord: the Lord said to Me: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You will rule them with a rod of iron, just as you will crush them with a potter’s vessels.” And now, kings, understand, learn, all judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice before Him with trembling. Accept the instruction so that the Lord will not be angry, and you will perish, having strayed from the path of the righteous, when His wrath will soon kindle. Blessed are all who trust in Him!

Psalm 3

Lord, why have those who oppressed me multiplied? Many rise up against me, many say to my soul: there is no salvation for him in his God. But You, Lord, are my intercessor, my glory, and You lift up my head. With my voice I cried out to the Lord, and He heard me from His holy mountain. I fell asleep and slept; woke up, for the Lord will protect me. I will not be afraid of the multitude of people attacking me all around. Arise, Lord, save me, my God, for You have struck down all those who were hostile against me in vain, You have crushed the teeth of sinners. Salvation comes from the Lord and your blessing comes to your people.

Glory, and now: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (three times)

Litany small.

Then psalms 140, 141, 129, 116 are sung with stichera on “Lord, I have cried”; at this time the deacon performs the full censing of the temple.

Lord, I called to You, hear me. / Hear me, Lord.

Lord, I have called to You, hear me, / listen to the voice of my prayer, / when I cry to You. / Hear me, Lord.

Let my prayer / like incense be directed before Your face, / the lifting up of my hands / like the evening sacrifice. / Hear me, Lord.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth, and a guard against my lips. Do not turn my heart to wicked words, to invent excuses for sins with people who practice lawlessness; and I will not join their chosen ones. The righteous will mercifully instruct me and reprove me, but let not the oil of the sinner anoint my head, and also my prayer is for their desires. At the rock their judges were swallowed up; They will hear my words, for they have become sweet. As if the thickness of the earth had opened up on the earth, their bones were scattered in hell. For my eyes are in You, Lord, Lord, in You I have trusted, do not take away my soul. Save me from the snare that they set for me, and from the temptations of those who practice iniquity. Sinners will fall into their snare; I’m alone until I cross it.

With my voice I cried out to the Lord, with my voice I prayed to the Lord. I will pour out my prayer before Him, I will declare my sorrow before Him. When my spirit fainted within me, even then You knew my paths; on this path that I walked, they hid the net for me. I looked to the right and looked, and no one recognized me; It became impossible for me to escape, and there was no one to stand up for my soul. I cried out to You, Lord, and said: “You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living.” Heed my prayer, for I am greatly humbled; deliver me from those who persecute me, for they are stronger than I.

This is where the stichera begin:

On 10: Bring my soul out of prison, that I may glorify Your name.

Stichera

The righteous will wait for me until You reward me.

Stichera

On 8: From the depths I cried to You, Lord, Lord, hear my voice.

Stichera

Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my prayer.

Stichera

On 6: If You mark iniquities, O Lord, O Lord, who can stand? For with You is propitiation.

Stichera

For the sake of Your name, I have waited for You, O Lord, my soul has trusted in Your word, my soul has trusted in the Lord.

Stichera

On 4: From the morning watch until the night, from the morning watch let Israel trust in the Lord.

Stichera

For with the Lord is mercy, and great is his deliverance, and he will deliver Israel from all their iniquities.

Stichera

On 2: Praise the Lord, all nations, praise Him, all nations.

Stichera

For His mercy is established upon us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.

Stichera

Glory: Stichera

And now: Theotokos

The entrance is made with a censer.

Evening Hymn to the Son of God

The joyful light of the holy glory / of the immortal Heavenly Father, / of the holy, blessed Jesus Christ! / Having come to sunset, having seen the evening light, / we sing praises to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, God. / It is worthy at all times / to sing of You with happy voices, / Son of God, who gives life, / - therefore the world glorifies You.

Deacon: Let us listen.

Priest: Peace to all.

Chorus: And to your spirit.

Deacon: Wisdom. Prokeimenon, voice (such and such).

Prokeimena at Vespers

Sunday evening, tone 8

Bless the Lord now, all you servants of the Lord. Verse: Standing in the temple of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. (Ps 133:1)

On Monday, tone 4

The Lord will hear me / when I call upon Him. Verse: When I called, the God of my righteousness heard me. (Ps 4:4, 2)

On Tuesday, tone 1

Your mercy, O Lord, / will follow me all the days of my life. Verse: The Lord shepherds me and will not let me need anything in a place where greenery is abundant - there He has settled me. (Ps 22:6A, 1–2A)

On Wednesday, tone 5

God, save me in Your name / and judge me by Your power. Verse: God, hear my prayer, attend to the words of my mouth. (Ps 53:3, 4)

Thursday, tone 6

My help comes from the Lord, / who created heaven and earth. Verse: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help will come. (Ps 120:2, 1)

On Friday, tone 7

God, You are my protector, / and Your mercy will soon meet me. Verse: Deliver me from my enemies, O God, and redeem me from those who rise up against me. (Compare Ps 58:10b–11A, 2)

On Saturday, tone 6

The Lord reigned, / clothed himself in splendor.

Verse: The Lord clothed himself with strength and girded himself.

Verse: For He has established the world, and it will not be shaken.

Verse: Thy house becomes holy, O Lord, for many days to come. (Ps 92:1, 5b)

If Alleluia is sung (during the Nativity and Holy Apostles fasts), instead of the prokeimns we sing:

On Monday, tone 6

Hallelujah. (three times)

Verse: Lord, do not reprove me of Your wrath and do not punish me with Your wrath. (Ps 37:2)

Hallelujah. (three times)

Verse: And forever and ever.

Hallelujah. (three times)

Tuesday and Thursday

Verse: Lift up the Lord our God and worship His footstool, for it is holy. (Ps 98:5)

Verse: And forever and ever.

On Wednesday

Verse: Their voice went out into all the earth, and their speech to the ends of the world. (Ps 18:5)

Verse: And forever and ever.

Deacon: Wisdom.

Reader: (Book title) reading.

Deacon: Let us listen.

A reading from Holy Scripture.

Priest: Peace be with you.

Reader: And to your spirit.

A special litany.

Evening Prayer

Grant, O Lord, that this evening we may be preserved without sin. Blessed are You, O Lord, God of our fathers, and praised and glorified is Your name forever. Amen.

May Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we trust in You. Blessed are You, O Lord, teach me Your commandments. Blessed are You, O Master, grant me understanding of Your commandments. Blessed are You, O Holy One, enlighten me with Your commandments.

Lord, Your mercy endures forever; do not despise the creatures of Your hands. Praise is due to You, singing is due to You, glory is due to You, Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Petitionary litany.

Priest: Peace to all.

Chorus: And to your spirit.

Deacon: Let us bow our heads before the Lord.

Chorus: To you, Lord.

Prayer of adoration.

On the days when the all-night vigil is celebrated, we go out into the vestibule of the temple with lamps and a censer and perform a litia - fervent public prayer. The choir sings the lithium stichera of the feast (at the Sunday vigil - the stichera of the church), while the deacon censes the holy icons, the priest and the people, then pronounces petitions. If the vigil is not served, immediately after the prayer of adoration the following are sung:

Aposticha

On non-feast days, verses from Psalm 122:

Stichera 1

Verse: I have lifted up my eyes to You, who dwells in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of slaves are towards the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a slave are towards the hands of her mistress, so our eyes are towards the Lord our God, / until He has pity on us.

Stichera 2

Verse: Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we are overflowing with contempt. Our soul is abundantly filled with reproach from the prosperous / and contempt from the proud.

Stichera 3

Glory, and now: Theotokos

Saturday evening poems:

Verse: The Lord reigned, / clothed himself with splendor.

Verse: For He has established the world, / and it will not be shaken.

Verse: Thy house befits holiness, / Lord, for many days. (Ps 92:1, 5b)

Prayer of Simeon the God-Receiver

Now do You let Your servant go, O Lord, according to Your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the face of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel. (Luke 2:29–32)


Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (three times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Priest: For Thine is the kingdom.

Reader: Amen.

Troparion of dismissal. Glory, and now: Theotokos. At the vigil, the troparion of the feast is sung three times.

On Sunday

Virgin Mary, rejoice; / gracious Mary, the Lord is with you! / Blessed are you among women / and blessed is the fruit of your womb, / for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls. (three times)

Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

Chorus: Lord, have mercy.

The priest reads a prayer for the consecration of the loaves.

Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever. (three times)

Psalm 33

Priest: May the blessing of the Lord and mercy be upon you, according to His divine grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Chorus: Amen.

And we begin Matins with the Six Psalms.

At Great Vespers, performed separately from Matins, after the troparions of dismissal, the deacon exclaims:

Deacon: Wisdom.

Chorus: Bless.

Priest: Blessed is Christ our God, always: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Chorus: Amen. Establish, O God, the holy Orthodox faith, Orthodox Christians forever and ever.

Priest: Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Chorus: It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. / More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim: / without defilement thou gavest birth to God the Word: / true Theotokos, we magnify thee.

Priest: Glory to Thee, Christ our God, our hope, glory to Thee.

Chorus: Glory, and now, Lord, have mercy. (three times) Bless.

The priest pronounces the dismissal:

(Risen from the dead) Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother, the holy, glorious and all-praised Apostles and saints , the holy righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anna and all the saints, will have mercy and save us, as the Good One and the Lover of Mankind.

Chorus: Our great lord and father , His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus’, and our most eminent lord , metropolitan (or: archbishop, or: bishop, - the name of the see), our God-protected Russian country, rector, brethren and parishioners of this holy temple (or: abbot with the brethren of this holy monastery) and all Orthodox Christians, Lord, save for many years.

At daily Vespers, after the troparions of dismissal, a special litany is pronounced, starting with the third petition: “Have mercy on us, O God”; further: “Wisdom”, “Blessed is He who is”, “Establish, O God” - and we begin the first hour.

On days of fasting, when “Alleluia” is sung, we end Vespers like this: after “Our Father” the following troparia are sung with prostrations:

Virgin Mary, rejoice; / gracious Mary, the Lord is with you! / Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, / for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Glory: Baptist of Christ, remember us all, / that we may be delivered from our iniquities, / for grace has been given to you to pray for us.

And now: Pray for us, holy Apostles and all saints, / that we may be delivered from troubles and sorrows, / for in you we have found warm intercessors before the Savior.

We resort to the protection of Your mercy, Mother of God, / do not despise our prayers in times of adversity, / but deliver us from troubles, O One Pure One, One Blessed One. (No bow)

Reader: Lord, have mercy. (40 times) Glory, and now:

It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, ever-blessed and most pure, and the Mother of our God. / More honorable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim: / without defilement thou gavest birth to God the Word: / true Theotokos, we magnify thee.

Bless in the name of the Lord, father.

Priest: Blessed is Christ our God, always: now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Reader: Amen.

Heavenly King, strengthen your faithful people, establish the faith, tame the nations, pacify this holy temple, (or: this holy monastery) unharmed, establish our previously deceased fathers and brothers in the villages of the righteous, and accept us in repentance and confession as the Good One and Lover of Mankind.

The priest says the prayer to St. Ephraim the Syrian with bows:

Lord and Master of my life! Do not betray me to the spirit of idleness, vanity, lust for power and idle talk. (Bow)

Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, your servant. (Bow)

Yes, Lord the King, let me see my sins and not condemn my brother, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen. (Bow)

Also 12 small bows with prayer:

God, cleanse me, a sinner.

And again the whole prayer: Lord and Master of my life. And one great bow.


Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (three times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse us from our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (three times)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Priest: For Thine is the kingdom.

Reader: Amen. Lord, have mercy. (12 times)

If the Great Lent, we read

All-holy Trinity, consubstantial Sovereignty, indivisible Kingdom, Creator of all good things! Be kind to me, a sinner: strengthen, enlighten my heart and remove all filth from me, enlighten my thoughts, so that I can always glorify, sing, worship and exclaim: “One is Holy, one is Lord, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.” Amen.

Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever. (three times)

Glory, and now:

Psalm 33

I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will always be on my lips. Let my soul glory in the Lord, that the meek may hear and be glad. Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my sorrows. Come to Him and be enlightened, and your faces will not be ashamed. This beggar cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from all his sorrows. The Angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear Him and deliver them. Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him. Fear the Lord, all you His saints, for there is no shortage of those who fear Him. The rich became poor and began to starve, but those who seek the Lord will not tolerate the need for any good. Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the person who wants to live, who wants to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and strive towards it: the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are on their prayer; but the face of the Lord is upon those who do evil, to destroy the memory of them from the earth. The righteous cried out - and the Lord heard them, and delivered them from all their sorrows. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and humble in spirit and will save. The righteous have many sorrows - and the Lord will deliver them from all of them. The Lord protects all their bones; not one of them will be broken. The death of sinners is evil, and those who hate the righteous will sin. The Lord will deliver the souls of His servants, and all who trust in Him will not sin.

Psalm 144

I will exalt You, my God, my King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You and praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and highly praised, and His greatness has no end. Generation and generation will praise Your works and proclaim Your power. They will tell about the splendor of the glory of Your holiness, and they will tell about Your wonders, and they will tell about the power of Your terrible deeds, and they will tell about Your greatness, they will speak of the remembrance of the abundance of Your goodness, and they will rejoice in Your righteousness. The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in mercy, the Lord is good to everyone, and His mercies cover all His deeds. May all Your works glorify You, O Lord, and may Your saints bless You. They will speak about the glory of Your Kingdom, and tell about Your power, in order to show to the sons of men Your power and the glory of the splendor of Your Kingdom. Your kingdom is the kingdom of all ages, and Your dominion is in every generation and generation. The Lord is faithful in all His words and holy in all His deeds. The Lord supports all those who fall and raises all those who are defeated. The eyes of all look to You with hope, and You give them their food in due season: You open Your hand and satisfy every living creature according to Your good pleasure. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works. The Lord is close to all who call on Him, all who call on Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him, and He will hear their prayer and save them. The Lord protects all those who love Him, and He will destroy all sinners. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.

Priest: Wisdom.

Chorus: It is truly worthy to glorify You, the Mother of God, / eternally blessed and most immaculate / and the Mother of our God.

Priest: Most Holy Theotokos, save us.

Priest: Glory to Thee, Christ our God, our hope, glory to Thee.

Chorus: Glory, and now. Lord, have mercy. (three times) Bless.

The priest says dismissal.

If “Alleluia” is sung during another Lent, after the Trisagion and the exclamation:

Lord, have mercy. (12 times) Glory to Thee, Christ God. Glory, and now. Lord, have mercy. (three times) Bless.

And so on, and leave.

If you want, at the end of Vespers, read the prayer of St. Basil the Great:

Blessed are You, Lord, Lord Almighty, who illuminated the day with the light of the sun and illuminated the night with the radiance of fire, deigning us to go through the length of the day and approach the beginning of the night. Hear the prayers of ours and of all Thy people and, having forgiven all of us our voluntary and involuntary sins, accept our evening prayers, and send down a multitude of Thy mercy and Thy compassion upon Thy inheritance. Protect us like a wall with Your holy Angels; Arm us with the weapons of Your righteousness; protect us with Your truth; preserve us by Thy power; deliver us from every attack and every deceit of the enemy; make for us this evening with the coming night perfect, holy, peaceful, sinless, without temptations, without dreams, like all the days of our life, according to the prayers of the Holy Mother of God and all the saints who have pleased You from the ages.